


Lightwielders

by hfijgo



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Modern Setting, Monsters, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-01-11 06:49:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18425112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hfijgo/pseuds/hfijgo
Summary: Long ago, there were those who used light as a weapon against the dark creatures that threatened humanity. Now, they are little more than a myth. But with the dark returning, the light will as well.





	1. The Beginning

In the beginning, there was no light. Creatures of darkness haunted mankind, destroying all that they made. The people prayed to the above, asking for a way out of the dark. A light, to shine through the darkness, to aid mankind in its struggle. Then, one day, as if the heavens above had listened to the plea of the mortals, a person was born, capable of bringing forth a light that could destroy the darkness. At first, it was a small spark, but in time, it grew. First it was one, then it was two. After that, three, then ten, then hundreds. Armed with the light, humanity drove back the darkness, and established themselves. Over time, the creatures dwindled, and humanity relaxed. Life was no longer about worrying when the dark would strike next, it was about when your friends would come over next, or when the next festival would occur. Of course, the darkness never died out. It stayed far from people, rarely growing dense enough to justify attacking humans. Those who could bring forth the light were born less and less over the generations, to the point where most towns rarely had more than one, and they slowly became more of a folk tale than an everyday sight. It is said, though, that those who can use the light are naturally drawn to each other, as if tied by the string of fate. Those who used the light in such capacity, who were the ones that drove back the dark, were given a title, a descriptor of what they were, and what they could do. That name, once revered for the stories of heroics and bravery that its name evoked, now a rarely spoken tale, was special. Those who brought forth the light were named _lightwielders_


	2. First step forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally got around to making the new chapter, and introducing our main character

The sound of footsteps could be heard, as her feet struck the forest floor. She had been running for an unknown amount of time, but she still wasn’t tired. She knew she had to run, but from what? She decided to finally look at her mysterious pursuer, when she heard a sound. A persistent noise, off in the distance.

She woke up to her alarm, with a startled look. Quickly getting out of bed, she left her room and made her way to the kitchen. “Hey mom,” she said, noticing her mother at the kitchen table, reading a book. “How’d you sleep last night, Sam?” her mom asked. “Not too good,” Sam told her mom, while grabbing an apple. Her mom put her book down. “Same dream as last time?” Her mom said, worried. “Yeah, same as always. I’m running away from something, and whenever I look at it, I wake up. I’ve never actually seen what, though.” Sam said to her mom. “And that’s pretty annoying. How am I supposed to fix my problem when I don’t even know what it looks like?” She added as she left the kitchen. She finished her apple, then started to wander her house. “What does it mean? Me being chased by a shadow in a forest, what am I supposed to understand?” Sam thought. She decided to ponder her dream’s meaning while walking. She changed from her pyjamas into clothes more suited for a casual stroll. Before she left the house, she said “I’m going for a walk!” to her mom, halfway across the house.

As she walked, she thought about her dream some more. She thought about what every part could mean, if it was some sort of roundabout metaphor for some problem she’ll have later. Any big events happening soon? No, there was nothing in the next few months she could recall. School? Not that one either, it’s still months away. Some tragic memory? Of course not, her fourteen years of life were pretty standard so far. She was so lost in thought, she didn’t realize that she had ended up taking a turn that would lead her to the forest trail. At this time of day, the forest trail would most likely be completely void of people, perfect for her to let her mind wander without accidentally walking into someone.


	3. The Path, part one

As she continued her stroll through the forest trail, Sam continued thinking about the meaning of her dream. Pondering each piece, she continued to figure out the symbolism of it all. Sam was so lost in thought, she hadn’t realized that she had accidentally started walking down the longer of the two paths, instead of the shorter path that she had originally wanted to take. She had walked for a fair distance before she stopped to check where she was. As she looked around, she had noticed that the trail wasn’t very familiar, as she had rarely been down the longer route. Sam thought about turning around but realized that she had already walked quite far and that turning around to go down the shorter route would take much longer than just completing the longer route. She shrugged, then turned to face the path once more, walking for a short while until she heard a sound from behind.

 

Her heart racing, Sam quickly broke into a sprint. Her breathing sped up as she slammed her feet into the ground, overwhelmed with a feeling of terror. She had run a short distance when she decided to look at what she was running from. She turned her head ever so slightly, only to feel her heart skip a beat when she misplaced her foot. She tumbled to the ground, scraping her knee in the process, and barely catching a glimpse of her pursuer. As she tried to scramble to her feet, she took another glance at the following entity. Her breathing hitched as she saw what was following her. A shadowy creature, easily twice her height, covered in a pitch-black fur. It towered over her, making a guttural noise as it approached her slowly. Her heart rate sped up as it got closer, its form becoming ever more apparent. It appeared to be a wolf-like creature, but it had some humanoid traits. It walked on two legs, and its arms ended in clawed hands. The creature then sped up, breaking into a sprint as it headed towards Sam. Just as the creature was about to hit her, she felt something.

It was… strange. It wasn’t something Sam had felt before. It was almost as if time had stopped, just for a fraction of a second. The feeling started as something that was barely perceivable, but it grew. Sam didn’t know what this feeling was, yet it felt oddly familiar, almost like deja-vu. It only seemed to last a moment, but she knew there was something important about the feeling. Just as the claw was about to make contact, the mysterious feeling that Sam had felt suddenly spiked, as a burst of light erupted from her. It was like a flashbang had been set off in a vacuum, and when Sam opened her eyes, she saw that the creature had been launched back a few meters, and embedded in its torso was some sort of stick, perfectly straight and emitting a cyan glow. The creature had become noticeably alarmed at the presence of this spike, attempting numerous times to remove it, before it got the rod out. As the rod fell from the creature, a noticeable hole was left in the creature, along with several wounds on its claws. As the attacker geared up to jump at her, Sam tried to remember how she brought the previous item into existence. 

The beast leaped at her, bringing its claws into a striking position. Sam barely had any time to think, let alone act. At the apex of its jump, the creature suddenly shifted its path, as if pushed by an otherworldly force. The creature crashed into a thick tree, making a loud thump upon impact. It quickly got up and ran off. Sam, her heart feeling like it was about to explode from how hard it was pumping, was so filled with adrenaline that she wasn’t confused, merely thankful that the creature was thrown into a tree. Her eyes swept the forest in search of the person who came to her aid when she saw a boy, who seemed equally filled with energy. Sam cautiously approached the boy, who slowly began to do the same. As the two came face to face, Sam said, “Thank you,” The boy, why seemed to be around her age, replied with “You’re welcome, I guess,”


	4. The Path, part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much longer chapter than usual, but it's well worth it.
> 
> I'm really proud of this one, and I'm really excited to continue.

Sam had started walking down the trail. The boy, seemingly having nothing better to do, began following her. The two didn’t speak during the walk, instead walking in awkward silence until they got to the end. When they got to the end of the trail, they parted ways silently. Sam decided to head to a local cafe, in order to calm herself down. It was a short walk to the cafe, where she passed many local shops and restaurants that she had been to before. When she got there, she ordered a simple drink. When she was looking for a seat, she was surprised to see the boy that had saved her, sitting at one of the two-seater tables. Before she realized it, she was already sitting across from him. He glanced at her, his eyes widening in surprise as he realized who she was. “Oh! It’s... it’s you!” He said, noticing the girl that was now seated in front of him. “You know, I never actually got to know who you were,” Sam said. “Oh, right...” The boy replied. “I’m James. It’s nice to meet you!” he said, introducing himself. “And you are...” he continued. “Sam,” she replied, pleased to finally know his name.

An awkward silence surrounded the two, neither knowing what to do next. Each one occasionally glanced at the other, waiting for someone to say something. Anything, really. Sam decided to take charge. “So, James. What exactly did you do back in the forest?” she asked. James, caught off-guard, took a few seconds to compute what he had just heard. “I don’t really know, I saw something bad was going to happen, so I acted. I don’t know how I did it, it just felt like I was supposed to.” He responded. “So, you just did that without trying?” Sam asked, confused by how effortless he described it. As James was about to respond, Sam felt a buzzing in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and saw that her mom was calling. Accepting the call, she put the phone to her ear. “Hey, Sam!” Her mom said, “Just want to let you know that you should think about heading home soon. I’m about to make lunch.” Sam replied, “I’ll be home soon, bye.” and hung up. She looked at James, and said, “Hey, got a phone? I wanna get in touch later.” “Yeah, I’ve got one. Here, I’ll put my info in.” James replied. After James had finished putting his contact information on Sam’s phone, she waved goodbye and left.

Sam had spent most of the remaining day in her room, trying to repeat her earlier feat. She thought about the moment she made the spike, focusing on what she was thinking at the time. She kept trying to repeat that strange feeling, but she couldn’t get it to come back. Frustrated, she grabbed a decoration off of her desk, a cheap cube-shaped toy from some movie that came out when she was younger. She tossed it, then caught it, then tossed it again. As she caught it again, she tried focusing on that sensation from earlier. Surprisingly, she faintly felt it in the tips of her fingers, but it quickly went away. She placed the toy on her bed, then slammed her fist against the air in anger. She was confused when she heard a small _thump_ come from the ground. When she looked to the source of the sound, she was stunned to see an exact replica of the cube toy, made out of cyan light. When she realized what had happened, she was excited. She was so excited, she didn’t notice when it disappeared about a minute later. When she did eventually notice, she felt a mild sadness, before trying to make it again. After making a few more, she decided to continue attempting to hone this new ability of hers.

It had been a while since she started, but she was slowly getting better at making simple constructs with her ability. She now had a small, but respectable, pile of eleven light-cubes. She was also getting better at longevity, as some of the cubes in the pile were getting close to ten minutes old. It was almost seven o’clock, but she was too busy practicing making stuff to have noticed that she had accidentally pulled an all-nighter. Just as she was about to continue making more cubes, she heard a familiar buzzing sound coming from her desk. She didn’t bother checking who it was, she just answered. “H-hey, Sam.” Came a familiar voice. Sam yawned, then said “Who is... Oh, hey, James.” “Did you just get up? I can call back later if-” Sam interrupted him with “No, no. I’ve just been up for...” Her voice trailed off as she realized how long she had been up for. “Anyways, what’s up?” she asked. “I just wanted to know if you wanted to, like, hang out somewhere, I guess?” James asked. Sam replied, “Sure, why not? Oh, by the way, I’ve got something cool to show you!”

Sam grabbed an old backpack of hers and filled it with items she thought she could try making. The two kids had decided upon a nearby clearing, far enough from the road that they wouldn’t be interrupted, but close enough that they could easily run if something bad happened. She told her mom where she was going before she left. “The Clearing? Why would you meet up there? You’re not-” Sam interrupted her mom, saying, “I’m just meeting with a friend. Nothing more.” Her mom asked, “Why are you bringing that bag?” Sam, not wanting to prolong her conversation, just said, “It’s just some old toys and stuff, I don’t know why you’re so worried,” Sam quickly made her way out the door, headed to the clearing. When she got to the clearing, she noticed that James was already there. James was about to say something, when Sam said “Watch this!’ and quickly made a cube of light. James stepped back in awe, wondering how she did that. “Woah, isn’t that the stuff that you stabbed that thing with?” James said, remembering the events of the previous day. “Yeah, pretty cool, huh?” Sam responded, picking it up and making it disappear. She was halfway through getting her bag off, when James asked, “So, why’d you bring the bag?”

Sam had gotten the bag off, then opened it carelessly, letting its contents spill out. Sam then said, “It’s full of stuff I want to try to make! This is gonna be fun!” as she started to organize the spilled objects, quickly giving up and grabbing the first item of interest. “Try to make?” James said, confused, as Sam picked up a plastic sword. Trying to recreate the sensation of earlier, she focused on the toy sword in her hand. She saw a wave of cyan light pass over the object briefly before it coalesced and retreated back through the sword and disappeared into her hand. Dropping the sword, she focused on the feeling of it, of its presence, how it felt, how it weighed. She felt the familiar ripple of energy from when she created the spike, as a small burst of light rushed from her hand. When the two looked, they saw a near-perfect replica of the toy, except the blade seemed much more _real_ , more _sharp_. It was as if her mind had taken the raw input, and tempered it into a more refined form. “I- I see. Can you do that with anything?” James asked, still awestruck from what he had just witnessed. Sam took a few practice swings, saying, “I dunno, I’ve only made that spike, this sword, and like twenty cubes.” James glanced at the other items that were dispersed from the bag. One item, in particular, caught his attention.

“Why not try this?” He asked, grabbing some sort of alien-looking weapon. “That? You want me to try making that?” Sam asked, slight anxiety pervading her as she thought about trying to make a functional ranged weapon. “You don’t think you can make this? It’s like three tubes and a trigger, not that hard.” James said, thinking about how simple the toy was. It seemed oddly familiar, like it was an old friend. “It’s not about how it looks, it’s about making it work. A sword is _infinitely_ easier to make work, compared to something like that,” Sam said, not knowing the extent of her abilities. Sam quickly caved though, as she thought a bit more. Grabbing the prop, she held it in both hands and focused on the rippling feeling. Two pulses flowed across it, travelling over every inch of the toy’s surface before bouncing back into her hands. Gently tossing it to James, she attempted to summon a copy of the toy gun. Two small flashes came from her palms as a replica of the toy appeared in her hands. Sam aimed it at a nearby rock and pulled the trigger. A beam of cyan light flew out from the gun, making a sizable hole in the rock. The gun, along with the sword and cube, vanished. As their forms broke apart and drifted away, Sam dropped to the ground. James rushed to her. “Are you- are you alright?” He asked, worried about his new friend. “That... that was exhausting.” Was all that Sam said before she fell asleep.


	5. Barrier

As Sam opened her eyes, she saw two knights facing towards each other in a grassy field. They were surrounded by the ruins of a castle, destroyed long ago. The two knights drew their swords, and started walking towards one another. One of the knights stopped, before two wings suddenly appeared on his back. The two knights charged each other, their swords clashing violently. The two fought with great strength; this was obviously not their first clash. The cold steel of the winged knight’s blade made a loud clang as it met the armament of his equal. The two fought with finesse, each one parrying and striking as if they had done it a million times before. Suddenly, the winged knight struck the blade out of the normal knight’s hand. In one strike, the winged one had removed the other’s arm, then the winged knight’s blade swung around a second time and removed the other’s head. The world faded to black before his head hit the ground.

She heard something faint. Nothing solid, just a simple, muffled voice. “Sam…” the voice said. “Sam… Sam!” The voice, now clearer, repeated. “Sam! Sam!” The voice said once more. Sam opened her eyes, realizing James had been calling her name. Not only that, he was leaning over her, his arms on her shoulders. “Sam! You’re awake!” James said. “What?” Sam asked. “Uh, there’s a problem” James said. Sam glanced around. Nothing seemed wrong, so she looked back at James. “What’s the problem? I don’t see-” Sam was cut off by a loud growl. The two kids faced the sound of the noise, seeing a dark figure. Sam immediately recognized it. It was the same dark creature that attacked her yesterday. She quickly got up, readying herself. The creature jumped at them, its claws readied.

The creature landed in front of Sam. It roared at her, then swung a clawed hand at her. She tried to create a sword, but as it formed, it quickly dissipated. Sam didn’t realize how little energy she had, and how much of the limited energy she had used. The creature’s hand hit her with full force, sending her flying a short distance away. The impact knocked the wind out of her, preventing her from doing more than watching. She watched helplessly as the beast lept towards James, prepared to strike him. She reached out, a soft wheeze escaping her as she tried to call out to him. She saw as the creature swung at James, with every intent to end him then and there. Suddenly, the creature was launched a few feet back. With the creature stunned, James took his chance and ran to Sam. The creature had reoriented itself by the time James got to Sam, already running at them. James glanced at her, making sure she wasn’t badly injured. 

The creature had quickly gotten itself to the children. It wasted no time in swinging at them, its claws fully extended and eyes locked on them. Just a few feet from them, a glowing barrier appeared in front of the claw, defending them from the strike. The beast was only stunned for a moment, quickly following up with a swing of the left arm. A new shield appeared, blocking the path of the strike. Each time the creature tried to attack, its hits were deflected by a new barrier. Every strike seemed to harm the creature, as its claws had been drastically reduced after the barrage of attacks. Before it had another chance to strike, the barrier quickly expanded outwards, like a balloon being filled. The creature was knocked back a short distance, landing in a way that stunned it. By now, Sam felt a bit less tired, and got up. She slowly walked towards the creature, looking over it numerous times to ensure it was down. James followed behind her, ready to help her if needed.

Sam was mere feet from the beast when she extended her arm. Focusing, she summoned a new sword, taking care to observe the creature. The creature turned its head to face her, trying and failing to move itself away from her. In a swift strike, she had removed the creature’s head. The creature’s body slowly began to dissipate, as if it were a sculpture made of loose ashes. Sam dispelled the sword, then breathed a sigh of relief. “Well then, what do we do now?” James said. “I... don’t know” Sam replied. “Guess we should head back” She continued. She began packing her stuff back in to the bag, and then they were off.

As the two walked, Sam looked at James. “Thanks,” Sam said. “For what?” James asked, not realizing what she meant. “For saving me, of course! I’d probably be dead by now if it weren’t for you.” She responded. James stared at the ground, then looked at his palm. “I don’t really know if I could do that again, though. It felt like it was just happening without me trying.” James said, his voice taking on a slightly saddened tone. “How did you even do that? Like, make that sword?” James asked. Sam pondered the question. She didn’t really _understand_ how she did it, she just knew how to do it. “I guess I just feel some sort of rippling in me, and focus on that. I don’t really know how I could explain it better.” Sam answered. They continued to talk as they walked. Soon, they had gotten to Sam’s house. “Well, I guess this is where we part ways for now.” Sam said, not really knowing a better way to end the conversation. “Well I guess I’ll see you later, bye!” James said as he left.

Sam had only just gotten inside the house when she saw her mother approaching her. “You were gone for a while. Did you have fun?” Her mother said cheerfully, glad that Sam had made a new friend. “Yeah, it was pretty fun.” Sam responded, her lack of sleep slowly catching up to her. Sam’s mother looked at Sam, spotting a few scrapes. “What happened?” Her mom said, gently investigating all the mild injuries Sam had. “I tripped” was the best answer Sam’s sleepy mind could come up with. “These are some injuries for just tripping,” Her mom replied, noticing the small cuts and bruises. Sam felt a sharp pain appearing in her left shoulder, quickly grasping it. “I think I’m going to lie down, maybe sleep for the next... week,” Sam said as the adrenaline slowly dissipating, combined with her accidental all-nighter, mixed together. She slowly walked to her room, falling asleep almost as soon as she was fully on the bed.


	6. Foretelling thoughts

Sam found herself slowly fading into a large building, with a tall ceiling and walls that seemed impossibly far apart. The place seemed unnaturally devoid of people as if it had only just been built, though its general appearance stated otherwise. She slowly made her way around the structure, perplexed by its winding rows of storage shelves. She eventually made her way to a clearing in the building’s shelves, where she saw a cloaked figure in the center. As she made her way towards it, she felt a strange, nagging feeling, as if every fibre of her being was telling her to run away. Ignoring the figurative pleas, she made her way to the figure. “You.” A voice said. A deep, menacing rumble spread in all directions as the world seemed to lose all colour. The rumble ended with a loud impact, as if a skyscraper had collapsed right next to her. The uneasy feeling she felt before had now doubled, making her want to run away, only to be met with a paralyzing fear. The voice continued, “I have a feeling... that we will meet. Very, very soon.” The world crumbled and turned to dust as the dream faded away.

Sam quickly shot up out of bed as soon as she woke up. She felt dread, knowing that her dream was significant. Who was that person? What were they doing in that building? Questions kept forming in her mind, each one as hard to answer as the last. An idea popped into her head. She grabbed her phone, quickly sending a text to James. She sighed, trying to take her mind off of the dream. She resolved to figure it out later, because she was starting to want breakfast. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Grabbing a bowl, she began assembling a traditional cereal. She had started to space out, nearly over-filling the bowl. She had been lost in her lack of thought, completely oblivious to the fact that her mom entered the room. “Morning, Sam!” Her mom said, startling her. “Morning, mom,” Sam replied, now finished making her meal. “How’d you sleep?” She asked, remembering Sam’s statement yesterday. Sam made a noise, somewhat between an “eh” and a “good”. “Oh, I almost forgot! Your dad’s coming home soon.”

As soon as Sam heard that, she felt a great sense of joy. Her father was often away on business trips, sometimes being gone for months at a time. He always made sure to acquire a decent collection of memorabilia and souvenirs from the places he visited, causing Sam’s room to have an entire shelf or two dedicated to them. Sam was always happy when her father was around, almost never missing a chance to hang out with him. “Really? I can’t wait!” Sam said, having entirely stopped worrying about her dream. She started heading back to her room, trying to think of something to do today. She was only a few steps away from her door when she heard the familiar tune of James calling her.

James had slept quite well, having no memorable dreams. He was slow to rise, enjoying the early morning’s sun. As he got out of bed, he began to stretch. Today seemed like it would be a quiet one, a slow day where James could sit back and relax after yesterday’s events. That was, of course, before he received Sam’s text. ‘Call me ASAP’ was all that her cryptic message said. James was unsure of what she meant. Was she in trouble? Did she have great news? Did she just want to say hi? He couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter, he enjoyed the time he had spent with her so far, even if it led to some strange issues. James chose not to immediately call her, believing it to not be urgent. When he decided to call Sam, he was made uneasy due to her lack of responding.

One dial sounded, then two. Several more dial tones were heard before she responded. “James! Hey!” Sam said. “You asked me to call as soon as possible, is everything good?” James said back. Sam spent a short few seconds not responding, before saying “Oh, right! I had a dream, but it was... weird.” “What do you mean? Aren’t dreams supposed to be weird?” James questioned. “It felt like, I dunno, it was too real to be just a dream. I was in this building, and I saw this guy, and he said-” James interrupted her, ''Woah, hold on, one thing at a time please.” “Sorry. Basically, some shadowy dude said we would meet soon, but it was really ominous. It just seems too real.” Sam said. James thought that was odd, his dreams were never like that. “Well, besides that, is there anything else you want to tell me?” James asked. “Right, I almost forgot! My dad’s coming home, I can’t wait!” Sam said in an excited tone. The two hung up shortly after.

James fell back on his bed with a sigh. He kept thinking about Sam, no matter what. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. His mind kept going back to her, no matter what he tried to think of. Her eyes, blue like the ocean, seemed like windows into a pure soul. Her hair, which barely passed her shoulders, was the colour of a dirt-covered garnet. She wasn’t the tallest girl that James had met, but she was far from short. James didn’t know why he kept thinking of Sam; he had no idea what caused it. He was so busy thinking of Sam, he hadn’t realized that he had formed a barrier around himself. When he noticed, it slowly dissipated, and his mind had finally stopped wandering to Sam.


	7. An Expected Visitor

Four days had gone by since Sam had that dream, though she didn’t really do anything noteworthy. She and James had called a few times, but they hadn’t met up since the clearing. Sam decided to fix that. “Hey James, maybe we could meet up at the coffee place?” She texted. “Sure” James texted back. As soon as Sam got that text, she made her way out of her room. She was almost entirely down the stairs when she heard the front door opening. She was nearly at the bottom when it opened. She immediately ran towards the door when she saw who opened it. 

“Dad!” She exclaimed, jumping towards her father with her arms open. Sam’s father was a tall man, with dark, brown hair. His face had a slight stubble, and he had blue eyes. “Jennifer! I’m home!” He said loudly. “Tom, you really don’t need to be so loud,” Sam’s mom said, walking up next to him. She kissed him on the cheek, then said “Welcome home, dear.” Sam finally let go of her dad, wanting to know what he had been up to. “Sam, I have so many stories to tell you. Let’s go on a walk!” He said. “Don’t take too long!” Her mom said to the two as they left the house. As the two walked, Sam took charge, hoping to steer them to the coffee shop. “So, what’ve you done since I last saw you?” He said, hoping to catch up. “Well, I’ve mostly been at home, but I made a new friend last week!” Sam said, eager to tell her dad all about James. “That’s nice, tell me about them,” He said back, wanting to know more about her friends. “Well, I met him on the trail, when he-” Sam stopped, not knowing if she should tell her father everything. “Anyways, I saw him at the Cafe, and we met up at the clearing the day after.” She continued. “I haven’t seen him in a while though. Oh, we should go to the coffee shop!” Sam said. “That sounds like a fine idea,” Her father responded.

The two had easily made their way to the coffee shop. Sam had quickly memorized the routes to all her favourite places, which were all within walking distance of her house. As they walked in, she remembered why she wanted to go there in the first place. Looking around, she noticed that James wasn’t here yet. Or maybe he had already left, and they were too late? She was starting to worry until she saw James enter the Cafe. He made his way to Sam. “Hey, there he is!” Sam said to her father as James approached. “Morning, Sam. Who are you?” James said to the two. “This is my dad, James,” Sam answered. Her father held out his hand, saying “Hello, my name is Tom. You must be Sam’s new friend.” James shook Tom’s hand, saying “Uh, hey. I’m James.” The two continued to shake hands for several more seconds, stopping after it had clearly gone on for too long. The three ordered, then sat down with their drinks. They had a lengthy conversation, though it was not particularly interesting. Several minutes after they had finished their drinks, the three finally left.

The conversation had quickly moved to more interesting subjects after they left. Tom had begun telling James about his many adventures, one of which caught his attention. “So you’re telling me you went to Tillo? Are the beaches really black like they say?” James was fascinated. “Yes, it’s quite amazing the first time you see it. And the second time, and the third...“ Sam’s father trailed off. Ever since he came home that morning, Sam was trying to decide whether or not she should tell her father about what really happened on the trail and in the clearing. “So, Sam. I’ve been asking around, and wanted to know if you want to come with me on my next work trip. I might even be able to get James to come, if he’d like to,” Her father said. Sam felt quite happy to hear that. It had been years since she last went on a trip with her father. “That- that sounds great! I’d love to!” Sam said, a bit louder than she anticipated. “I can probably come too, my parents are pretty cool with this kinda stuff.” James said.

A small smile appeared on Tom’s face. “Then it’s settled. I’ll start working on asking my boss after dinner.” Tom said. “So, where are we going?” Sam asked, realizing that she had agreed to a trip but didn’t know the destination. “Only the finest place I know. We’ll be headed to the capital in a week, then head home two weeks after that.” Her father said. “You mean we’re headed to Fahrin?” James asked. “Fahrin? The city of dreams?” Sam asked joyously. “You two seem pretty excited,” Her father said. The two kids apparently knew a bit about their country’s capital. Fahrin, known across the world as ‘the city of dreams’, was a major tourist destination, with many impressive buildings and natural formations. “Dad?” Sam said, finally making up her mind. “What is it, dear?” Her father responded. “I-” she sighed, not knowing how to explain. “Check this out.” She said. She held her arm out, the other two pausing to watch. She focused, summoning a sword of light. Her father seemed equally surprised and impressed, while James was confused about why she showed her ability. Her father seemed to process his next words, before opening his mouth to speak. “Holy shit. You... can actually do that.” Was all that her surprised father could say


	8. Time for a Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and her father discuss Sam's newly found abilities

Two hours had passed since Sam had gotten home from the Cafe. After having lunch, she had gone to her room to read a book. She heard a knock on her door. “Come in,” she said, flipping to the next page. Her father walked through the door, closing it behind himself. “Oh, hey dad.” She said, briefly glancing at him before continuing through her book. “May I sit next to you?” He asked. “Uh huh,” Sam voiced as she bookmarked the page she was on. “Sam, I can’t believe you’re actually able to wield.” He said, confusing Sam. “Oh, right. You... probably don’t know what that means,” He continued. Sam had put her book on the table next to her bed, now focused on the conversation. “It... will be a lot to take in, at first. You might not understand for the first while.” Sam, still confused, realized what her father was talking about. “Oh, you mean this?” She said, forming a cube in her hand. “Exactly. That power, your ability to create things, is called _lightwielding_ ,” Her father said. “So, there are other people that can do this?” Sam asked. “Yes, there are. There used to be loads, but there aren’t very many left.” He said. Sam was... disheartened, to say the least. There aren’t many left? What could that mean? “Aren’t many left? What happened?” She said. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t word that right. _A long time ago,_ there were many. Over time, fewer people could actually use this so-called _light_ in any real capacity.” Her father answered.

Their conversation continued. “So, what chooses if someone can... wield?” Sam asked. “Nobody really knows why they can, some people are just able to do it.” He answered. “Do you know anything about a... dark, shadowy creature?” Sam asked, causing her father to go pale. “You saw a _dark, shadowy creature_? Did I hear that right?” He asked. Sam confirmed what he heard. “You saw a being of darkness? On this island?” His voice became louder, fear creeping into him. “Where?” “On the trail, the long way. Where I met James,” Sam responded. “You... tell me exactly what happened on the trail.” He said, fear overtaking him. Sam explained what happened in detail. Her father's parental worry went to levels he had not reached in years. “You not only met one, but you survived an attack? I need to find it and stop it so it can never hurt you, or anyone,” He said. “I, uh, already did,” Sam said. Her father was shocked. “How?” was all he could say. Sam recounted her second fight against the creature, being stopped when she described James’ barriers. “James, he can... he can wield too?” He asked. “Yeah, but he said that he couldn’t really control it, like it was automatic,” Sam responded. Her father’s worry seemed to have entirely dissipated, replaced with a determined desire for knowledge. “Sam, call James.” He said. “Why?” Sam asked.

“He should join us. Let’s go for a walk.”


	9. Coffee and tree

Sam and her father had chosen the coffee shop as an ideal meeting spot. The two of them walked quickly, occasionally having minute conversations. Other than that, the walk was mostly silent. Within a short while, they were at the cafe. Sam entered to see James, who seemed to have only gotten there a short time before them. “Hey, James!” Sam said. “Long time, no see?” James said sarcastically. It had, of course, only been around three hours since they last saw each other. “So why’d you tell me to come here anyways?” James asked. “That... was my idea.” Sam’s father answered. “I apologize about this sudden meeting.” He continued. “So, what’s up?” James asked. “If what Sam told me earlier is correct, you have the ability to wield light.” Her father said. James was confused, not understanding what Sam’s father said. “He means your shields,” Sam explained. “Yes, your shields. Tell me about them.” Her father said. “Well, they’re, uh... shields, I guess?” James wasn’t sure what he should say. “But I can’t just use it, the shield really only appeared to protect me from that... thing.” James continued. “I see,” Her father said, producing a notepad from one of his pockets. He began writing something down. “So you currently have no control of it,” He continued speaking as he wrote. “Have you formed any barriers since?” He asked. “I don’t think so?” James answered.

They kept their conversation brief, not wanting to waste time unnecessarily. Not long after, Sam and her father left to go home, though it was a shame. Sam wanted to spend more time with James. Still, Sam’s father got what he needed, so they had no reason to stay. While they walked, Sam’s father decided to strike up a conversation. “So, Sam. What are you currently able to replicate?” Lost in thought, Sam didn’t hear what her father said. She realized quickly that her father said something. “What’d you say?” She said. Her father repeated what he said previously. “Oh, I can make a cube, but it’s not very impressive. I’ve also been able to make a laser gun, I guess. It’s exhausting, though,” Sam said. Her father looked at her. “Exhausting?” He asked. “Like, I made one and wanted to see if it would work, and it took all my energy.” She said. “You mean that you made a functional ranged weapon?” Her father said. “Uh huh,” Sam confirmed. “That is, well, not something a beginner is usually able to do,” Her father said. “You’ll have to show me sometime.” He said. “Or, I could show you now,” Sam said, pointing to the entrance to the forest trail, which they were just passing.

The two went a short distance down the trail. Taking the short route, they would eventually emerge a brisk walk away from the trail’s opening. Sam’s father stopped, prompting Sam to stop as well. “Why’d you stop?” She asked. Her father motioned her to be quiet. After a few tense seconds, he seemed to relax. “Alright, show me.” He said. Sam began to focus. Extending one arm, she began tapping into her abilities. The familiar rippling sensation bounced through her as part of the weapon appeared in her hand, accompanied by a brilliant cyan light. A burst of mauve light accompanied the arrival of the second portion. “That’s never happened before,” Sam said, confused. It didn’t matter though, the weapon appeared to be normal. She felt a tingling in her spine, a sense of ‘not-quite-right’ pervading the local atmosphere. She elected to ignore it, instead training her blue-and-purple weapon on a nearby rock. Just before she pulled the trigger, a pervasive sense of dread surrounded her. She didn’t know why, but somehow she knew that she would be better off far from where she was currently standing. Choosing not to ignore instinct, she jumped away from where she was standing. Her instinct was not wrong, as a moment after she sprang, a dark creature pounced at where she was just standing.

The dark beast that stood before Sam and her father was different in appearance from the one she fought before. While the other seemed more canine in appearance, the one that appeared before her was noticeably different. Its head was more rounded, and its body was smoother, to an extent. Its mouth was open, a viscous fluid seeping from within. Sam was paralyzed with fear, but her father seemed slightly less fazed. The beast slowly looked around, a guttural breath emanating from its opened mouth. Sam’s father backed away slowly, his eyes never moving from the creature. Sam, though shocked, began slowly moving her weapon towards it. The creature slowly began turning itself towards Sam. Unsure of what else she could do, Sam continued aiming towards the beast. It seemed that the dark being noticed, as it immediately jumped at her. Moments before impact, time seemed to freeze. Everything seemed to have lost its colour, except for a strange, chaotic string of crimson energy that extended from Sam, travelling far down the path. Though only slightly, Sam seemed to be able to move. Her aim steady, her weapon was already pointed at the beast when time began to flow once more. Doubt was far from her mind as she pulled the trigger.

A beam of sapphire-blue light erupted from the weapon, closing the gap between Sam and the dark beast in less than a microsecond. The creature’s void-black abdomen was instantaneously bisected, revealing more darkness where any normal creature’s internal organs would be. Striking the ground with a thud, the beast seemed quite aware of its predicament. Still, the upper half that was still capable of motion attempted to crawl its way to Sam. Sam pointed her weapon at the creature, wanting to dispatch it quickly. The temporary construct of hers seemed to have other ideas, though, as when Sam pulled the trigger, nothing happened. Dispelling the weapon, Sam instead opted to end this creature in the same fashion as the previous one she defeated. Fabricating a blade of turquoise light, she quickly split the creature’s head in two. Without pause, Sam took the blade, and made it dissipate. As the glowing particulate dispersed around her, she saw her father looking at her in awe. Sam slowly dropped to the ground, breathing like she just ran a race. Between breaths, she said, “Like I said, it’s exhausting.”


	10. Good morning!

Birds chirped and cicadas sang as the morning sun rose over the horizon. James looked out his window, thinking of what he could do today. Six days left, he remembered, six days left before he would leave to visit the capital city of Fahrin. Though that thought left his mind quickly, another lingered. James was reminded of the question he was asked yesterday. “Have you formed any barriers since?” To that question, he said no, but he knew that was a lie. He knew that he did, just once, if only for a moment. _But how?_ He kept asking himself that. How did he do it? Could he even do it again? Again and again, the same few questions repeated in his brain. He sighed, for he didn’t know how to answer any of those questions. Instead of dwelling on it, he instead surveyed his room. His wall was empty, save for the poster of some movie that he got years ago and never took down. His bed was covered in an orange blanket, its waves and folds like dunes in a desert. The corner of the blanket had folded over, revealing the blue bed beneath. His floor was covered in a mess of clothes and other miscellanea, except for a perfectly circular region. A perfectly circular region... His eyes shot open, suddenly reminded of why his floor was like that.

James began remembering what had lead to him forming a barrier previously. What had he been doing? No, not doing. What had he been thinking about? That was the answer, as far as he was concerned. When it formed, his mind wandered on its own, but now his mind would not wander aimlessly. Instead, it had to march forward to its goal, in order to tap into the powers that previously laid dormant. He focused, his mind slowly working to project an image of what made his powers work. What caused them to even appear in the first place. Not what, but who. She who had been responsible for James’ abilities being awakened. Her name, her face, the way she talks. How they met, how they became friends. Those memories pushed to the forefront of James’ mind. When he opened his eyes, he saw a perfect sphere of translucent, slightly blue, light. It stayed there, unmoving, for several seconds, before it slowly faded away. His enthusiasm, however, was stronger than ever.

Only a small distance away lied Sam’s house, where Sam was just waking up. She yawned while she stretched, seeing the sun shining through her window. Getting out of bed, she walked to her window. Opening it, a small breeze of the fresh, morning air blew through. Closing the window, she began heading out of her room. Soon, she was in the kitchen. Once there, her eyes meandered across the menagerie of food items. Deciding between a few items, she eventually settled on a bowl of cereal. As she settled into a chair, her mom walked in. “Ah, good morning, Sam.” Her mother said. “Morning,” Sam responded, taking a spoonful of cereal. As her mom sat down, she looked away from the paper. “So, Fahrin, huh?” Her mom said. “Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. Shame you can’t come,” Sam said. “Oh, it’s fine! I’m actually going on a little trip of my own.” Her mother said. “Really? Where?” Sam asked. “Oh, just a business trip. Nothing special, really.” Looking across the table, she saw a newspaper. “ **Locals report seeing werewolf in forest** ” It said across the top, in big, bold letters. Her mother noticed the title. “The things that people claim these days,” Her mother said.

Sam finished her cereal. As she left the kitchen, she suddenly stopped. Blinking once, she was somehow transported to somewhere else. Sam stood on an emerald cliff, facing a steep drop. Down below, she saw the water churning unnaturally. The water moved chaotically, in a way that seemed nearly impossible. As she looked up, the sky shifted to a violet hue. The earth surrounding her was torn apart by fractures that radiated orange-gold energy. The air felt suffocating, as a burning smell surrounded the ground beneath. As she looked around, she was suddenly pushed off the cliff. She hit the water with a sharp splash. In pain, she glanced around. Seeing nothing but the chaotic water surrounding her, she tried to swim up. Just as she breached the surface, she was back in her house. Not knowing what else to do, she began to look for her father.

Far away, a man wrapped in shadows opened his eyes. He sat upon a small rock, within a dark room. Gazing around, he chuckled to himself lightly. “There it is... or, there she is.” With that, he closed his eyes once more.


	11. Just a dream

The world, crumbling before her eyes as she fell into the chaotic sea. Did it bear any meaning? Sam continued to think about that, slowly travelling through the house in search of her father. Despite looking into every room, she couldn’t find him. Giving up, she decided to look outside the house. As she went through the front door, she saw her father standing on the porch. He was perched over the porch’s railing, apparently surveying the area. He looked to be lost in thought. “Hey, dad?” Sam said. Her father blinked a few times, apparently regaining focus. “Oh, it’s you, Sam. What do you need?” He asked. “It’s about... well, I think had a dream?” She said. “Or maybe it wasn’t?” She continued. Hearing that, her father looked to her. “What, like a vision?” He said, somewhat jokingly. “Yeah, I guess.” She answered. “Still, I’d love to hear about this dream of yours,” Her father said, moving from the railing. 

A few hours passed, and it was now the afternoon. Sam was sitting in her room, unsure of what to do. Looking around, she spotted a familiar backpack. Slowly walking to it, she knelt down before the bag. Sam slowly unzipped the bag, reminded of the clearing. She pushed it down, letting its contents spill out. A toy sword, a toy gun, a kid’s baseball bat, it was all still there. “Right, never got around to that,” she said to herself, grabbing the bat. She slowly began putting everything away, then zipped the bag up. Standing up, she held her hand out, palm up. In a few seconds, a cube of light appeared in her hand. “Still got it,” She said. Internally, she wondered if she could make more than what she already had, though she didn't know what to try. 

Sam glanced around the room, finally laying her eyes on her phone. “Will this work?” She thought. Picking it up, she began memorizing it. A pale blue light spread across it, dissipating soon after. Placing her phone down, Sam attempted to summon a copy of it. A glowing blue rectangle slowly materialized in her hand. When it seemed to have stopped, she tried turning it on. “Nothing,” Sam said to herself, as the copied device failed to act like the original. Dispelling it, Sam walked across her room. With each step, she tried to think of what else she could do. Eventually, Sam gave up. As she laid down on her bed, she decided to have a nap.


End file.
